Selective switch and mounting therefor



Sept. 29, 1942. E. s. HENRY SELECTIVE SWITCH AND MOUNTING THEREFOR FiledNov. 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 p 1942- E. G. HENRY 2,297,652

SELECTIVE SWITCH AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed Nov. 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNITED STATES OFFIQE SELECTEVE SWITCH ANDMEOUNTING THEREFOR Earie G. Henry, Chicago, 111., assignor to BuckleyMusic System, Inc., a corporation of Illinois 5 Claims.

It is common to employ in connection with coin-controlled musicalapparatuses coin-receiving boxes that are set upon counter or fixed tothe walls of a room. Where the customer is to be given the opportunityof making selection among compositions that can be played, it isnecessary to provide means whereby he can cause the desired compositionto be played when he deposits a coin. This is easily accomplished byplacing within the box a selective switch that is operable from theoutside of the box by means with which is associated a dialing devicethat has positions corresponding to the individual compositions.

Because the program or list of compositions or records is usuallymounted on the broad front side of the box, it is desirable that theindicating device associated with the selective switch be also locatedon the front side of the box. However, the front side of the box isusually made in the form of a door or, at least, is movably connected toother parts of the box so that relative movements between th same andthe latter serve to open and close th box; thus making it necessary todivide the unit comprising the selective switch and its operating andindicating devices, so that the wires connected to the switch will notbe drawn out upon the opening of the box. Where the switch as a whol ismounted in a fixed position within the box, the operating memberextending to the exterior of a movable part of the box must be sofastened that it will automatically connect itself to and disconnectitself from the movable member of the switch upon the closing and theopening of the box. Obviously, since the indicator must at all timesshow to what composition or record a given position of the switchcorresponds, it is necessary that the operating member and the movableswitch member always be in th same relative angular positions beforethey can be operatively connected. Consequently, whenever an attendantopens a box to remove the coins that have been deposited therein, hemust make sure that the indicating device is set just right before heagain attempts to close the box. This results in wasting the time of theattendant or collector. Furthermore, in assembling the switch apparatusand a box, great difficulty is experienced in properly aligning thedialing or indicating means located on the door or the like, and theactual switch mechanism, occupying a fixed position in the box, toinsure proper coordination between the same.

The object of the present invention is to produce a selective switch ofthe general type above mentioned, which may be operated by an elementmounted on a door or other movable part of a box without being open toany of the objections above noted.

In carrying out my invention, I mount all of the stationary contacts,which are the only ones to which wires need be connected, in stationarypositions within the box, whil the switch arm or movable member,together with the actuator and dialing means, are all mounted on thedoor or other wall which is movable to open and close the box. Then,when the box is opened, the movable member of the switch is simplycarried away from the stationary contacts when the box is closed, it isagain brought into operative relation to the stationary contacts. Itmakes no difference What the angular position of the movable member ofthe switch is, because th dial always shows what record or compositionwill be played while the box is closed or upon the closing of the box ifit be open. Therefore, all that the attendant has to do is to open andclose the box without paying any attention to the selective switch. Theratchet devices associated with the movable switch arm and which make itpossible to stop the arm in any working position and yieldingly hold itthere, are, of coourse, mounted on the door or other part of the boxthat is moved to open and close the box. By mounting the ratchet inpermanent fixed relation to the dial, it is a very simple matterinitially to have the dial on the outside of the box register exactlywith the ratchet on the inside. Then, should the dial and the ratchet bedisplaced slightly, in their angular positions relatively to theareshaped row or circle of stationary contacts, no harm is done becausethe face of the movable contact member may be wide enough to insure thata good electrical connection is made with a stationary contact,regardless of any slight departure from absolute registration as mayoccur in installing a switch in a box. I therefore make it possible toinsure perfect coordination between the switch and the dialing device ifonly ordinary care is exercised in makin an installation.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterizedwill hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the ciaims; but,for a full understanding of m invention and of its objects andadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with th accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical section through the upper portion of a boxequipped with a switch embodying the present invention, the movablemember of the switch being shown in dotted lines in an intermediateposition which it assumes in passing from one stationary contact to thenext; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section online 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a front view of the box showing a smallfragment of the dial; Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;and Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the little turntable on which themovable switch member is mounted.

Referring to the drawings, I represents the rear wall of a box, whichwall is adapted to remain stationary in use, while 2 is the front wallwhich is movable relatively to the rear wall to open and close the box.In the arrangement shown, the side walls 3 are connected to the frontwall, one of the side walls being hinged to the rear wall, as indicatedat 4. Therefore, when the box is opened, only the rear wall standsstill. The upper part of the front wall is inclined upwardly andrearwardly, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 1, and it is upon and behind thispart of the front wall that the switch mechanism is located.

As shown, there is a thin sturdy slab 5 of insulating material fixedwithin the box parallel with the sloping portion 5 of the front wall andat a considerable distance behind it. This slab is shown as beingfastened to the front ends of a pair of sturdy arms 1 and 8 integralwith and extending forwardly from the rear wall; the fastening meansbeing screws 9.

On the front face of this slab are mounted a series of stationarycontact pieces l arranged in an arc of any desired length, the contacts,as shown, forming a complete circle. These contacts may be in the formof rivets, the stems of which extend through the supporting slab and arethen headed over on the rear side of the slab. To the rear end of eachcontact there is adapted to be secured an electric conductor, not shown.At the center of the circle of the stationary contacts is anothercontact which is in the form of a long headed stem ll extending throughand slidable in the member 6. A light spring I2, surrounding the forwardend of the member II and underlying the head on the latter, serves tohold the head end of the contact projected a substantial distanceforwardly from the member 6. This contact ll, although yield able, isproperly a stationary contact, as it forms one terminal for each of thecircuits controlled by the surrounding stationary contacts. After themember 6 has once been securely fastened to its supports, it remains inthat position as long as the box is in use.

The movable member of the switch is a sturdy arm 14 of insulatingmaterial having on one side a strip of conducting material that projectsbeyond one end of the same and is there provided with a shallowdome-like boss 16 adapted to engage with one or another of thestationary contacts Iii; the plate being long enough to enable it toengage with the center contact piece ll while the part I6 engages withone of the contacts l8. On the front side of the projecting portion ofthe plate I5 is a weight IT. The end of the arm l4 opposite that atwhich the weight is located is hinged to a little turntable IS; thelatter-member being shown as having at one enda pair ofrearwardly-projecting ears I9 between which the switch arm extends andto which it is attached by a hinge pin 20. This turntable is fixed to ashaft 2| that extends through and is mounted in a removable section ofthe part 5 of the front wall in axial alignment with the central contactpiece II. On the outer end of the shaft 21 is a combined finger pieceand pointer 22. In the actual construction illustrated, said removablewall section forms a closure for a large opening or window 2 3 in thepart 5. This removable section comprises a plate 26 fastened to the boxwall by rivets 21 or otherwise, a thin translucent plate 25 behind theplate 26 and a metal disk 28 smaller in diameter than the window lyingbehind and in contact with the member 25; all three members beingsecured together by rivets or otherwise. The disk 28 is provided with aseries of frusto-conical holes 29 extending entirely through the sameand arranged in a circle about the axis of the shaft 2|; the large endsof the holes facing toward the rear; and there being as many holes asthere are stationary contact pieces 59. In making the assembly, the disk28 is so placed that the holes therein will align or register with thestationary contact pieces It. By this I mean that each radial planeintersectin one of the stationary contact pieces similarly intersectsone of the holes 29. Fixed to the disk 28 and surrounding the shaft 2!is a thick sleeve-like member 30 which provides a long bearing for theshaft. The turntable i8 is behind the rear end of the sleeve 36 and isheld in place by riveting over the rear end of the shaft H, as indicatedat 3|. Cooperating with the shaft 2! on the outside of the box is asplit ring 32 surrounding and interlocked with the shaft to keep it frombeing drawn rearwardly into the box.

The turntable is simply a narrow fiat plate. At each end and on thefront side, as distinguished from the rear side Where th ears is arelocated, are two tubular projections 34 the distance between whosecenters is equal to the distance between centers of twodiametrically-opposed holes 29 in the ratchet disk. In each of thetubular projections or sleeves 34 is a little ball 35 somewhat larger indiameter thanthe diameter of the large ends of the holes 29. Also,within each tubular projection or sleeve, behind the ball therein, is aspring 35. The parts are so proportioned that whenever the balls are inregistration with a pair of holes 29, the springs force them partly intosuch holes, thereby forming a yielding means for holding th turntablefrom shifting into another position. However, when the finger piece 22is grasped and a turning pressure is applied thereto, the shaft 2| turnsand carries the turntable with it; the balls riding up the inclinedsides of the holes 29 and thereafter rolling over the flat rear face ofthe disk 28 until the next hole is reached by each ball. Thisconstruction therefore constitutes a satisfactory ratchet device toenable the operator to turn the combined finger piece and pointer stepby step or continuously, and to stop it accurately in any positioncorresponding to a closed position of the switch. In order that theoperator stop the pointer at the position that will cause the desiredselection to be played, there is provided a suitable dial graduated inharmony with the locations of the stationary contacts and the holes inthe ratchet disk. In the particular arrangement shown, the dial simplyconsists of a series of consecutive numbers painted or otherwise imposedin the form of a circle on the front face of the plate 25, and exposedthrough holes 31 in the outer plate 26; each of these holes, as shown inFig. 4, being large enough to render the corresponding number visibleand being 10- cated just beyond the path of the tip or pointed end 38 ofthe finger piece 22. The numbers on the dial are arranged in a circlelarger than the disk 28 so that they may be illuminated from a lightsource, not shown, within the box. Since the holes in the ratchet diskand the numbers on the dial occupy permanent, fixed positions, it is asimple matter to place them initially in registration or alignment.Then, also, it is a simple matter to mount the slab S, carrying thestation ary contacts, in its final fixed position, registered andaligned with the ratchet device and the dial.

In order to make it impossible, within the short time that a circuitremains closed by a coimoperated switch, upon depositing a coin to causethe switch arm to make contact with a plurality of the stationarycontact pieces I provide means for lifting th movable contact memberclear of the contact pieces ID whenever the arm is turned from oneposition toward another. It is for this reason that the movable switch,arm is hinged and weighted. It will be seen that the hinge axis of thearm is closer to the axis of the turntable than are the axes of thesleeve-like members 34. The hinged end of th arm is extended far enoughto overlie the adjacent tubular member or sleeve 34 and, in the latter,I place a pin or plunger 39 which is long enough to rest on the ball andextend rearwardiy far enough to engage with the front edge of the switcharm at the time when the latter is making' contact with one of thecontact pieces II), as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. With the parts inthe positions shown in full lines in Fig. l, the

turning of the finger piece causes the balls of the ratchet devic torise out of th sockets in the ratchet plate, whereby the pin 39 iscaused to press rearwardly against the front edge of the switch arm androck the arm until it assumes the position. indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1. The weighted switch arm has sufficient inertia to insure that ifit is rotated rapidly to cause it to travel from one contact piece pastthe second and to the third, the sluggishness of the switch arm preventsit from swinging back again to the contact making position until afterthe second stationary contact piece has been passed, so that no circuitwill be closed until the switch arm reaches the third stationarycontact. means an operator is prevented from securing th playing of morethan a single composition or record when he pays for only one.

Whenever the switch arm engages one of the stationary contacts [0, italso engage the center contact II, thereby closing a circuit byconnecting those two contacts together. The reason for making thecontact I I yielding is to insur a good electrical connection with eachof the two contacts without attempting to make the parts so accurate aswould be necessary if the center contact were unyielding.

After the assembly on the front wall of the box has been completed, withthe exception of securing the combined finger piece and pointer to theshaft 2|, the finger piece is slipped on the shaft and, after havingbeen adjusted, while the shaft stands still so as to point properly tothe number that corresponds to the position occupied at that time by theturntable, a little pit may be formed in the periphery of the outer endof the shaft by inserting a drill through a radial hole 40 in the fingerpiece and then screwing in a little set screw 4| until it enters thispit. Thereafter, the ratchet device and the indicator device re- By thismain permanently in registration, so that the. weighted switch armalways swings downwardly into switch-closing position at a time when itis above one of the stationary contacts I!) and. able to engage thesame; this being on the assumption that the ratchet device has beenfairly aligned. or registered with the circle of stationary contacts.

It is believed that the operation of the switch has'been made clear inconnection with the foregoing description of the construction of thedevice. It may be noted, however, that in Fig. 2 the rear or stationarypart of the box with which the switch is associated is shown in dottedlines in a position corresponding to a partial opening of the box;indicating the manner in which one section of the switch device simplymoves away from or toward the other when the box is opened or closed. Itshould also be noted that the tumtable [8 is supported by the balls 35which provide antifrictionbearings therefor as they ride over the faceof the disk 28 while the switch arm is being shifted from one positionto another; the springs 36 pressing the turntable rearwardly so as tohold it clear of the rear end of the bearing member 30.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a singlepreferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to theexact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend tocover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of myinvention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with two walls of a container movable relatively toeach other to open and close the container, of a selective switchincluding a series of stationary contacts arranged in the arc of acircle supported by one of said walls, within the container, a shaftextending through and rotatable in the other of said walls with its axisextended passing through the center of said circle, a switch arm carriedupon the inner end of the shaft to cooperate with the stationarycontacts when the container is closed, a switch actuator on the outerend of said shaft, and graduations on the exterior of the containerdistributed in an are about the shaft and corresponding in number anddisposition to said stationary contacts, and a ratchet device mounted onthe last-mentioned wall between that wall and the switch arm to raisesaid arm above the plane of said stationary contacts when the arm isturned from one working position toward another and hold it raised untilit reaches the new position.

2. The combination with two walls of a container movable relatively toeach other to open and close the container, of a selective switchincluding a series of stationary contacts arranged in a circle supportedby one of said walls, within the container, a shaft extending throughand rotatable in the other of said walls with its axis extended passingthrough the center of said circle, a stationary plate on the inner sideof the last-mentioned wall containing a series of holes arranged in acircle having its center at the axis of the shaft, a turntable on theinner end of said shaft, spring-pressed balls disposed diametricallyopposite each other on the turntable in position to engage in any pairof diametrically-opposed holes in said series or to ride on said platein the spaces between the holes, a switch arm movably mounted on saidturntable to cooperate with the stationary contacts when the containeris closed, a switch actuator on the outer end of said shaft, andgraduations on the exterior of the container distributed in a circleabout the shaft and corresponding in number and disposition to saidstationary contacts.

3. The combination with two walls of a container movable relatively toeach other to open and close the container and one of which walls has atthe top an upwardly and inwardly-inclined section, of a selective switchincluding a, series of stationary contacts arranged in the arc of acircle supported by the other of said walls in a plane parallel to saidinclined wall section, a massive switch arm mounted upon the inner sideof the inclined wall section for rotary movements about an axis at rightangles to said plane and registering with the center of said circle andfor rocking movements at right angles to said plane for cooperation withthe stationary contacts when the container is closed, means to rock saidarm away from the plane of said contacts while the arm is travellingfrom one contact to the next, and means on the outer side of theinclined wall section to turn said arm and at all times indicate itsposition relatively to said stationary contacts.

4. The combination with two walls of a container movable relatively toeach other to open and close the container and one of which walls has anupwardly and inwardly-inclined section, of a selective switch havingstationary contacts including a series arranged in a circle supported bythe other of said walls in a plane parallel to said inclined wallsection and a contact at the center of the circle, a massive switch armmounted upon the inner side of the inclined Wall section for rotarymovements about an axis at right angles to said plane and registeringwith the center of said circle and for rocking movements at right anglestosaid plane about an axis near one end thereof for connecting thecentral contact with any one of the other stationary contacts when thecontainer is closed, means on the outer side of the inclined wallsection to turn said arm and at all times indicate its positionrelatively to said stationary contacts, and means on the inner side ofsaid inclined wall section to rock said arm away from said planewhenever it begins to move from one contact of said series to anotherand hold it thus until the arm arrives at another contact in the series.

5. The combination with two wall members of a container movablerelatively to each other to open and close the container, of a series ofsta-- tionary contacts arranged in a circle and supported by the firstof said members near the top of the latter, a contact located at thecenter of said circle, a shaft extending through and rotatable in thesecond of said members with its axis extended passing through the centerof said circle, a switch arm carried upon the end of the shaft on oneside of. said second member to connect said central contact with any oneof said series of stationary contacts when said members are in workingpositions relative to each other and to stand clear of the plane of thelatter contacts in other relative positions of said member, a switchactuator on the other end of said shaft, graduations on the other sideof said second member, said graduations being arranged in a circle aboutthe shaft and corresponding in number and. distribution to the contactsof the aforesaid series, and a pointer on the shaft cooperating withsaid graduations.

EARLE G. HENRY.

